Are Potatoes Healthy? Here's A Healthy Recipe To Help Change Your Perspective

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White potatoes tend to receive a lot of negativity, with even doctors telling some of their patients to avoid them and white foods in general. While potatoes do fall high on the glycemic index, this depends on the potato variety, how they’re prepared, and the food you choose to pair them with. Protein and healthy fats such as olive oil do help with lowering the glycemic index.

Unless you have a health condition demanding that you reduce your potato intake, avoiding them would mean you’re missing out on tons of nutrients such as vitamin C, B6, folate, and potassium. Now that you have a good reason to incorporate potatoes into your diet once in a while, here’s a healthy recipe you could try out.

Healthy Roasted Potatoes(With Garlic)

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If you’re looking for a delicious way of preparing potatoes without compromising on health, you have come to the right place. These roasted garlic potatoes are crispy, infused with flavor, healthy, and only demand a few simple ingredients to prepare. To make it even more delicious, you can pair these with fish, chicken, or eggs for brunch. On their own, they offer a gluten-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan option for you; enjoy!

The recipe can be prepared with garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, and fresh herbs in around  5 minutes and left to bake, forming the delicious meal you’ve been waiting to enjoy.

Ingredients(With Notes)

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Potatoes; Yellow-skinned mini potatoes are the best choice for this recipe. However, if you only have larger potatoes, it wouldn’t hurt the recipe.

Olive oil; a key ingredient in making the potatoes nice and crispy. Make sure all the potatoes are evenly coated to make them brown and crispy.

Garlic; Important for making sure the potatoes are adequately flavored. Freshly minced garlic cloves are ideal; however, garlic paste can provide an equally tasty substitute.

Parsley; It is useful for providing a fresh pop of color and flavor post-roasting; you can achieve this by garnishing the potatoes with a fresh sprinkle of parsley before serving to get a mouth-watery taste.

Steps For Preparation

Preheat the oven to over 232 degrees C. Using parchment paper, line a baking sheet.

Dice the potatoes(do not peel), place them in a bowl, and pour in some olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic; then mix and toss till the potatoes are well-coated.

Place the well-coated potatoes onto the baking sheet and spread them out evenly. Roast them in the oven for 20 minutes, then flip for an additional 20 minutes. A brown crispy potato layer should be the final product.

If need be, increase the cooking time; the different ovens might have other roasting times. Once the potatoes are ready, remove them from the oven, and toss with chopped parsley. The meal is ready, serve while still warm.

Extra Recipe Tips

• Ensure the potatoes are well tossed with olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper to form a good coating, allowing them to marinate for a brown and crispy finish once the roasting is complete.
• To ensure all the potatoes finish cooking at the same time, cut them into equal pieces. If your potatoes are large, increase the cooking time to achieve similar results.
• Place the parchment paper on the baking sheet to avoid them from sticking onto the pan.
• Distribute the potatoes evenly, ensuring that they only form a single layer on the baking sheet. Do not overcrowd them to ensure they cook evenly.
• Heat the oven at a higher temperature to ensure the potatoes come out brown and crispy outside. If the potatoes are not ready after 40 minutes, put them back in for an additional time.

What Potatoes Should You Use?

For the crispy taste, you can use yellow-skinned potatoes, fingerling potatoes, or russet potatoes. However, sweet potatoes also provide an ideal option but keep in mind that they will not come out as crispy as mentioned before. Mini potatoes are suitable for this recipe, but you can use large potatoes if they’re not available.

How Should You Cut The Potatoes?

If you’re using mini potatoes, slice them into four quarters, and for each piece, try to achieve half-an-inch sized pieces. Ensure the pieces are uniform in size to ensure they cook evenly.

Storing Ingredients

For the potatoes, store in the fridge in an air-tight container for up to four days. For the garlic and parsley, store in the fridge’s vegetable section, and for salt and pepper, buy some condiment packaging for air-tight storage.

Can The Potatoes Be Cooked in Advance?

Yes, you can prepare the potatoes in advance; however, fresh-off the oven is the better option. You can store the chopped potatoes in the fridge after mixing them in a bowl with salt, garlic, and pepper. 

Which Foods Can You Serve Them With?

To ensure the meal is healthy, you can try out serving the potatoes with salmon, cod, chicken, and spinach. You can try out other healthy potato recipes to keep your interest in potatoes.

Conclusion

Potatoes can be healthy food when carefully prepared; however, you must consult your physician on your daily potato intake to ensure you have sufficient knowledge. Try to maintain an active lifestyle, as potatoes can contribute to weight gain; they are instrumental during gym athletes’ bulking period.

Eat healthy, live healthy, and learn to love potatoes again. All the best. 

This is a guest blog entry.